PCB denies fixing claims in Asiad

The Pakistan Cricket Board denied match-fixing in the Asian Games cricket tournament match between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Pakistan A team unexpectedly lost the semifinals to their less fancied opponents in China last month.

A senior official of the board dismissed accusations made by the President of a cricket club in Islamabad that the match was fixed and that Pakistan had deliberately lost the game on the behest of former Pakistan captain, Rashid Latif who is chief coach of the Afghanistan team.

"We interviewed all the concerned people and we found no evidence or suggestion that anything untoward happened in that match," the official said.

Javed Ali, the President of the club whose player Aqeel Anjum was a member of the Pakistan team in the Asian Games has claimed vociferously that captain Khalid Latif because of his friendship with Rashid Latif deliberately created circumstances where Pakistan lost the match.

Javed's accusations came after Khalid Latif and the Pakistan team coach, Sadiq Muhammad dropped Aqeel on disciplinary grounds in China during the games and also reported against him to the PCB.

The official said the PCB had taken the accusations seriously but after finding nothing nor getting any evidence from Javed to back his claims, it had closed the chapter.

"But we are now contemplating legal action against Javed Ali for making false claims," the official said.

He also made it clear that both Khalid Latif and Aqeel Anjum had been summoned to the board offices on Monday.

"We will be speaking to both of them regarding the issue of discipline that took place in China," he said.

The official said if Aqeel was found guilty of indiscipline in the tournament he could face penalties.

"We will speak to both of them to find out what happened because the coach has also reported Aqeel for misbehaving with the captain and openly challenging his authority after a team meeting," he said.

PCB ready to facilitate players appearance in IPL

KARACHI - Pakistan Cricket Board would provide all possible support at its own end to players interested in playing in the Indian Premier League. 

However, whether the Pakistani players were selected in any of the 12 franchised teams would be the decision of the team owners and the Indian board, said the newly appointed Chief Operating Officer Subhan Ahmed in his first interaction with local media here Saturday at the National Stadium. 

Chaudhry Anwar a member of the PCB governing board, who is also head of the PCB media committee and Nadeem Sarwar GM Media PCB also attended the media talk. 

Responding to queries on a number of issues put forth by a well attended media personnel, Subhan Ahmed, who started his association with the PCB 18 years ago here at the National Stadium, said, the PCB at its own end would help players get the NOC and any other documents needed to play in the IPL. He, however, added that no players had approached the PCB with any kind of request. 

The PCB, he said, had made contacts with the BCCI on the issue but the Indian cricket authorities had not come back to the PCB in the matter. 

Subhan Ahmed confidently fielded questions on all matters including coming hearing of three players in Doha but said there were a number of issues on which he could speak openly and frankly but he could not answer on some certain issues because of the sensivities involved. 

He avoided giving answers on the coming hearings of Salman Butt, Muhammad Aamer and Muhammad Asif. He also, when asked, did not disclose the names of the players whom the ICC had advised not to be considered for selection for the world cup saying that though he knew the names and the number of players but he could not give that information because he could not do so because of the confidential nature of the information. 

PAKISTAN CRICKET: WEAKNESS OF PAKISTAN’S CASE

International Cricket Council (ICC) doesn’t look serious to take efficient measures to stop match fixing. ICC’s recent actions seem to prove that they are hardly concerned. ICC have decided to clear the 30 players preface world cup squad after the approval of their Anti Corruption and Security unit. No one would disagree with the measures but it seems that it is meant only for Pakistan.  

The controversy started when British second-rate Tabloid “the News of the World” discretely suspected that seven Pakistani players were involved in spot-fixing, during the Lord’s Test against England in August. Scotland Yard broke in to the Pakistan team’s hotel and inquired with skipper Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz. On the basis of poor evidence, ICC suspended Salman Butt, Muhammad Asif and Muhammad Amer. They will not be part of world cup squad until ICC doesn’t clear them out of allegations.

On the other hand, a month back, Indian player Suresh Raina was also caught in a video with a lady who had relations with bookies. Sri Lankan Cricket Board forwarded the video to the Board of Cricket Controlling India (BCCI). ICC didn’t step in to the issue and no actions were taken against him. Danish Kaneria was also accused to have spot fixed while playing for Essex. Later on, he was cleared by county police but ICC pulled him back from the Test squad. These actions create wonders against ICC, why it looks to act against only Pakistan, in desperation. If ICC starts taking serious actions against the match fixing soon, cricket will be cleared from corruption. However, it seems that it’s not ICC’s fault only, as we all know about the strength of our Board as compared to other Boards of the world. It seems that it happens because of the role of politics in the country. It is like corruption. Politics is in the board, just because the Chairman is selected by a President of Pakistan, who is also a chairman of a larger political Party of the country. The Chairman of PCB is also a relative of the defense minister, Ahmed Mukhtar.

The Chairman is only answerable to the President of Pakistan, as he is nominated by him. However, it is understood that he should be elected on basis of merit. This is a basic cause of Politics in Cricket, in Pakistan. It seems that there should be democracy in the board and only a democratic Chairman should represent the country in the world.  Proper elections should be held in PCB and associations should select their chairman through a democratic process.

Afridi not happy

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was not happy with his side's Twenty20 loss to New Zealand on Boxing Day.

The tourists lost the first of three Twenty20 matches by five wickets at Eden Park.

New Zealand raced home when chasing 144 for victory.The side had made a good start to the innings and he felt they would be able to achieve a good target but they had been undone by hat-trick bowler Tim Southee.

"I thought he bowled really well. There were a few bad shots and Umar Akmal I think he was unlucky [given out lbw television evidence showed he hit the ball] but I think this is the right time before the World Cup and he should learn something from his mistake.

"The pitch was very good," he said.

His bowlers needed to hit specific areas more consistently and that had been borne out when New Zealand batted but he felt there should be an improvement in Tuesday's game in Hamilton.

Partnership building and bowling in the right areas would be crucial, he said.